


Afraid Of Change

by beyourmythical-bitch (dip_the_pip)



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Internalized Homophobia, Kinda, Toxic Relationship, Unhealthy Relationships, toxic behaviour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24407026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dip_the_pip/pseuds/beyourmythical-bitch
Summary: Rhett has an unhealthy way for dealing with his emotions.Prompt: ‘July’ by Noah CyrusPlease read tags before!
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24
Collections: Good Mythical Self-Isolation





	Afraid Of Change

Link lays in bed with his eyes closed, trying to will himself to sleep before his husband could get home. He loves him, of course, but his partner always got a little…angry, when he’d go out drinking with his buddies. Link takes a deep breath, still trying to shut his brain off. He used to be able to fall asleep so easier growing up and into his mid 20’s, but that’s when Rhett started coming home angry. Then it became a little harder to fall asleep.

Their close friends voice their concerns to Link when the bags under his eyes get darker and he gets more jumpy. He promises that everything’s fine, that Rhett’s just stressed with work. He doesn’t tell them that his partner is drunk more nights than not, he doesn’t tell them that Rhett yells at him and blames him for ‘making him gay’. He doesn’t tell them that Rhett’s out having affair after affair with women to try to turn himself straight, to find someone worthy of replacing Link with.

But without fail, Rhett will stumble into the house and make his way to the fridge for another beer. Sometimes he’s really cuddly and sweet when he’s drunk, sometimes he’ll just hold Link close and cry, apologizing for the bullshit he shouts at him the other nights of the week.

“I want to hate you so bad,” Rhett mumbled drunkenly into Link’s neck one night after a tear-fest. Link clenched his jaw, swallowed back a sob and nodded.

“I want you to hate me, too,” He whispered into the darkness.

Link clenches his eyes tight, listening as he hear a car pull up outside the house, and then the scratching of Rhett’s keys trying to slot into the hole before turning and unlocking the front door.

If he pretends to be asleep, he thinks maybe Rhett will leave him alone. Instead, the bedroom door swings open and Rhett slaps at the wall until the light turns on.

“What the hell, Rhett?” Link grumbles, pulling the pillow over his head.

“What?” Rhett slurs, stepping towards the bed, “It’s my damn house! I can turn on a goddamn light if I want to!” He shouts.

“I was asleep!” Link snaps, sitting up now and clutching the pillow to his chest. Rhett’s cheeks were rosy, and even while standing still he was swaying back and forth.

“Bull-fuckin’-shit!” He yells, ripping the pillow from Link’s grasp and chucking it across the room, “You’re always avoi- _hic_ -avoidin’ me these days.” He points a finger at Link.

“You don’t like spending time with me, Rhett,” Link reminds him softly, picking at the blankets, “You actually like to remind me quite often how much you don’t like me,”

Rhett grunts and rolls his eyes, waving his hand dismissively as he turns and storms out of the bedroom, walking to the kitchen. Link jumps out of bed, following him, watching as he cracks open another beer.

“If you want me to leave…just tell me to leave,” Link says quietly, his voice cracking, “You don’t want me, I’m not what you need to be happy,”

Rhett takes a long swig from his beer, staring at the wall, “You’re the reason my parents don’t speak to me. The reason my ex deems me unfit to be a father. The reason I drink myself sick every other night,”

“I-I don’t know what you need from me, Rhett,” Link whispers, “I’m offering to leave.”

“Because you want to leave me,” Rhett mumbles accusingly.

“ _No_ ,” Link sobs, wrapping his arms around himself, “No, not because I want to leave you! Because it kills me knowing that loving me is making you do this to yourself,”

“Why haven’t you left me?”

“Because I’m in love with you,” _Because change is scary, and losing you would be the biggest change in my life._

“Why couldn’t you have just left me alone,” He mumbles, looking down at the bottle in his hands.

Link shrugs, “I-I tried. You kissed me first,”

“You were seducing me!”

“You were unhappy in your marriage!”

“That was none of your business!” Rhett yells, slamming his beer bottle down on the counter hard enough for it to shatter, glass and beer going everywhere as Rhett curses loudly, clutching his hand to his chest.

Link is quick to make his way across the kitchen, grabbing Rhett gently and leading him to the sink and rinsing off his hand. He makes sure the cut is clean before finding the first aid kit and wrapping up Rhett’s hand.

“Just, just go to bed,” Link grumbles, making sure the bandages aren’t going to come off, “I’ll clean this up,”

Rhett says not as much as a thank you before turning and walking out of the kitchen and towards the bedroom, closing the door behind himself.

Link grips the counter tight, taking a deep, shaky breath. With even shakier hands, he begins to clean up the glass and beer in the kitchen. When he walks back into the bedroom, Rhett’s fast asleep in the bed.

Link turns off the lights and climbs into the bed, curling up as far over on his side as he can. He lays awake for another hour until Rhett starts snoring loudly, something that started when his drinking picked up.

-

The sun is warm against Link’s back where it’s coming in through the window, and the lips trailing across his shoulders are even warmer.

“Morning, baby,” Rhett whispers sweetly, kissing up along Link’s neck as his arm snakes around Link’s waist.

And Link can’t help but relax back into Rhett’s touch, “Morning,”

“I love you,” He mumbles against Link’s ear, before gently sucking a mark into his neck, “I love you so much, baby,”

Link swallows thickly, opening his eyes and staring blankly at the wall as he blinks quickly, trying to hold back his tears. “I love you too,” He whispers.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr @beyourmythical-bitch


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